If you’re wondering why Dave Reichert is so desperate to snag a seat on the Appropriations Committee, it all comes down to supply and demand. Reichert’s looking to the plum assignment as an opportunity to trade influence for campaign cash… something that’s been in short supply for the minority party this election cycle. And whoa boy, is there a lot of demand.
Reichert benefited from a flood of NRCC and RNC money in 2006, and still only managed to just squeak by newcomer Darcy Burner. But in 2008 the GOP has a helluva lot more turf to defend, and a helluva lot less cash on hand. Just take a look at the growing list of open House seats for a good illustration of the Democrats relative advantage:
Republicans | ||||
1. | (CA-52) Duncan Hunter | March 20, 2007 | ||
2. | (IL-18) Ray LaHood | July 27, 2007 | ||
3. | (MS-03) Chip Pickering | August 16, 2007 | ||
4. | (OH-15) Deborah Pryce | August 16, 2007 | ||
5. | (IL-14) Dennis Hastert * | August 17, 2007 | ||
6. | (AZ-01) Rick Renzi | August 23, 2007 | ||
7. | (MN-03) Jim Ramstad | September 17, 2007 | ||
8. | (IL-11) Jerry Weller | September 21, 2007 | ||
9. | (AL-02) Terry Everett | September 26, 2007 | ||
10. | (NM-01) Heather Wilson | October 5, 2007 | ||
11. | (OH-16) Ralph Regula | October 12, 2007 | ||
12. | (OH-07) David Hobson | October 14, 2007 | ||
13. | (NM-02) Steve Pearce | October 17, 2007 | ||
14. | (LA-01) Bobby Jindal * | October 21, 2007 | ||
15. | (CO-06) Tom Tancredo | October 29, 2007 | ||
16. | (NJ-03) Jim Saxton | November 9, 2007 | ||
17. | (WY-AL) Barbara Cubin | November 10, 2007 | ||
18. | (NJ-07) Michael Ferguson | November 19, 2007 | ||
19. | (LA-04) Jim McCrery | December 7, 2007 | ||
20. | (MS-01) Roger Wicker * | December 31, 2007 | ||
21. | (PA-05) John Peterson | January 3, 2008 | ||
22. | (CA-04) John Doolittle | January 10, 2008 | ||
23. | (LA-06) Richard Baker * | January 15, 2008 | ||
24. | (NY-25) Jim Walsh | January 24, 2008 | ||
25. | (FL-15) Dave Weldon | January 25, 2008 | ||
Democrats | ||||
1. | (CO-02) Mark Udall | January 16, 2007 | ||
2. | (ME-01) Tom Allen | May 9, 2007 | ||
3. | (NY- 21) Mike McNulty | October 29, 2007 | ||
4. | (NM-03) Tom Udall | November 10, 2007 | ||
5. | (IN-07) Julia Carson * | November 26, 2007 | ||
6. | (CA-12) Tom Lantos | January 2, 2008 |
(* Seats will be replaced prior to the 2008 election.)
25 open House seats for the Republicans compared to only 6 for the Democrats. And the money disparity is even worse; as of January 22, the DCCC reported over $30 million cash on hand, while the NRCC reported only $2.3 million… an amount equal to what they spent on Reichert alone in 2006. (In fact, the NRCC is sitting on almost $3.4 million of debt, so their balance sheet is actually in the red. Damn.)
If God helps those who help themselves, the same is true of the political parties, and Reichert better help himself to some hefty contributions and quick, if he hopes to stay on an even footing with Burner. Third term incumbents are generally expected to be pumping dollars into NRCC coffers, not sucking money out, and it’s not clear that his party can afford to make his race the same priority they did last time around. Oh… and I’m not so sure it helps Reichert that the man he’s trying to bump aside from the Appropriations seat is the man he’ll have to rely on to cut the big checks, NRCC chair Tom Cole.
It’s shaping up to be a tough year for Desperate Dave and his fellow Republicans.